LEN in LIMBO

SOON AFTER the new government was sworn into office in August following the bruising
March 2020 polls they halted activities of the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) throwing many
small businesses into convulsion.
Many other enterprising Lindeners were denied access to loans already approved by the Board of
Directors. Others just a document away from the much-anticipated financial support, had to be
turned away.
All this ruined their Christmas: reveling in the annual festivity and boosting earnings at the most
lucrative season in Guyana.
An ill-timed missive from the Finance Secretary dealt a devastating blow to small-business
owners depending on the LEN lifeline. A former member of the Board of Directors, speaking to
www.aroundtheregions.com assured of anonymity said the letter indicated the new Government
had put all loans disbursement on hold immediately.
“At the time of being notified of this decision we had already had several loans approved with a
number of cheques also written and was waiting to be disbursed. Further, we also had other loans
that were approved but pending some document or so. It was just like one thing or so to come
back or pending the person taking out their insurance or so,” the former Board Director recalled.
A large number of fully processed applications suffered.
The fragile economy of the impoverished bauxite-mining community received a pummeling.
“All the cheques that were written up were placed on hold and since then all we know that
happens is that no loans were disbursed. We also had numerous applications that were in process
and just waiting approval. We had numerous cheques that were already written and just needed
to be disbursed but nothing was done,” was the lamentation of the former Director.

As a palliative, a consultant was hired to examine LEN in its state of thaw. Projects were
scrutinised. Documents were examined. More than once. Then silence.
“From since then we have heard nothing from the government and to date all the loans are still
pending including disbursement and approval,” they related.
In the midst of all the hullabaloo, the life of the Board expired December 31st.
LEN is in limbo.
“Nobody in the region was able to get any loans for investments, new investment or expansion of
their businesses from August. We are aware that the busy season starts from September so no
businessperson in the region was able to secure any assistance from the Government through
LEN to expand, extend or even enhance their business or start new business for this Christmas
season,” another former Director mourned.
“The government has not said anything and they should say something on the issue so that many
unanswered questions can be answered as the least they can do is to ensure that the people of the
Region know the truth,” the former Director counselled.
Thursday night, the Department of Public Information (DPI) attributing a statement to Dr Ashni
Singh, Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, in the Office of the President, said “over
the last few years, we found that it has not been serving the purpose it was intended and it is not
generating the results we expected, including, as a result of persons not repaying their loans, the
fund is not revolving. The President has instructed us to conduct a review of the programme and
to examine how we can resuscitate and revitalise it.”
Singh further said in theDPI release that “we are working currently to facilitate major industrial
investment in Linden, which is going to happen, but in addition to that, we are looking at ways in
which we can promote medium and smaller scale businesses.”
The 2021 fiscal estimates expected to be presented in the National Assembly shortly, will
highlight strategies the government will pursue to revitalise LEN, Dr Singh told DPI.